When aging potions go wrong
by Paige Fan
Summary: Complete. Rewritten and back! Ron wakes to find a four year old Harry. Pansy wakes to find a Draco of the same age... what's going on? No spoilers for HBP.
1. Chapter 1

**IMPORTANT A/N: This has been totally rewritten and a lot of the plot has changed. Even if you read it last time please keep following because it's very different, and this time it will actually have an ending! It's set a few months into sixth year but contains nothing from HBP. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that you recognise.**

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office, absently stroking the feathers of his pet phoenix Fawkes. He was deep in thought, oblivious to everything around him including Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall sitting in front of him.

The two professors sat quietly, occasionally exchanging glances. They both knew the headmaster would tell them what was going on eventually. After ten minutes he at last leaned forward.

"Severus, Minerva, this is what I predict." Dumbledore began to speak softly and the professors listened intently until he was finished.

--------------------

In the Gryffindor dormitory, sixteen year old Harry Potter was lying awake. He checked his watch for the hundredth time that night, noticing that it was only 12:53. Harry lay restlessly in his bed most nights, dropping off to sleep at around 3:00. He just found it impossible to fall asleep.

In any case, he was glad of this. He hated dreaming, as every dream he had reminded him of the dream that had led to Sirius's death. He hated the feeling of helplessness in dreams, and they way they brought back memories he didn't want to think about.

Harry shook his head. He had been thinking about the prophecy that night, as he did often. Was it better to kill, or be killed? He asked himself this question many times, but could never find an answer. He ran his fingers through his untidy hair, wishing he had someone to talk to about this; someone who would really understand. Someone like Mrs Weasley. Someone like a mother.

Harry was angry at the way tears pricked at the back of his eyes. He rubbed his face vigorously, refusing to let them fall. He was sixteen. He had faced Voldemort many times and escaped. Yet now, he wanted to cry because of a stupid mother?

"I need some water," Harry muttered, getting out of bed and walking towards the bathrooms. Once there, he looked around for something to drink it with and, to his surprise, saw a goblet sitting there already filled with some sort of potion. It smelled delicious. Harry stepped nearer. Though the logical part of his brain told him not to touch, he couldn't resist picking it up and taking a tiny sip. It tasted even better than it smelled. Harry gulped it all and put the goblet down, feeling satisfied. He walked back to the dormitory and got into bed.

Then he started to notice a strange tingly feeling in his belly. It spread throughout his body and was starting to feel very nervous. He wanted to get up and get help, but the need for sleep was becoming overwhelming; whether this was the potion's doing or not, Harry didn't know. He fell back on his pillows, and thought no more.

------------------------

Ronald Weasley was awoken by something small jumping on his bed. Ron groggily opened his eyes to see a small face peering back at him.

"Ron, are you ever going to get up? I'm hungry and I've been waiting for you for hours," the face complained.

Ron sat up. A small boy of maybe four or five had now jumped off the bed and was bouncing restlessly around the floor. He had untidy black hair and green eyes which were covered by glasses.

"No way," Ron breathed. _"Harry?"_ he asked incredulously.

"Yeah?" The boy looked up at him. "Look Ron, I got dressed all by myself this morning," he said proudly. Ron took a look. Harry had his jeans on back to front and he had somehow twisted his T-shirt so that his head poked out one of the sleeves.

By now the other boys in the dormitory were starting to wake up.

"What's going on?" Seamus asked sleepily, opening his eyes. Neville clambered out of bed, peering at the black haired boy.

"Whoa. That's not… Harry?" he asked, his eyes as large as saucers. Ron nodded, his expression showing that he knew as much as any of them.

"But – what happened?" Dean asked, sitting up. Harry was now frightened of all the eyes staring at him.

"Did I do something wrong?" The four year old asked worriedly.

"No. No, you didn't, um, Harry." Ron spoke awkwardly.

"Good. Can we go visit 'Mione?" Harry asked, looking cheerful again.

"Hermione, yeah she'll know what to do," Ron said aloud.

Ten minutes later Ron and a now properly dressed Harry entered the Gryffindor common room where Hermione and Parvati were sitting talking.

"Hermione?" Ron said. "We have a problem."

The two girls on the couch turned around. Parvati's eyes grew wide.

"Harry?" she asked. Ron nodded. "Oh, he's so cute," Parvati squealed. Hermione looked at Harry with adoring eyes and bent down to his level, speaking softly to him. Ron felt a twinge of jealousy.

"Well what are we going to do?" he asked irritably. Hermione straightened up.

"I think he should see Dumbledore," she told the red head. "He'll know what to do." Ron was relieved at this suggestion.

"Good idea. Let's go then," he said.

"Oh, no," Hermione said looking horrified. "I've got Arithmancy first; I can't miss it. You've only got Divination, you can miss that. You'll have to take him."

"Me?" Ron repeated, looking outraged. "Take him to Dumbledore by myself? No way. I'm not doing it."

-------------------------

"Stupid, bloody Hermione," Ron thought angrily as he made his way to the headmaster's office, Harry running along behind him. Professor Trelawney wouldn't be happy about both Harry and Ron missing her class and Ron doubted Dumbledore would do much to help. However, Ron was completely unprepared for what he would find in the old man's office.

The sixteen year old red head knocked on the door of Dumbledore's office and then waited, hearing voices inside.

"Well, I don't know how this happened, but we have to fix it," an annoyed female voice said.

"Come in," Dumbledore's voice called out. Ron cautiously entered the room, holding Harry's hand and pulling him in.

Ron stared in disbelief. A very angry Pansy Parkinson stood facing Dumbledore. She too held the hand of a small boy but this boy had pale skin and blonde hair. Dumbledore sat behind his desk, his eyes twinkling.

"Ah, Mr Weasley," he said. "It appears you have the same problem as Ms Parkinson."

"Malfoy?" Ron gaped at the blonde boy.

"And Harry, I'm presuming," Dumbledore spoke. "Well Mr Weasley, as I was explaining to Ms Parkinson, it looks as if your young friends have taken an aging potion. It's not clear how they came across it, as this particular sort of aging potion is very rare."

"Rare? What does that mean? Is it different to other aging potions?" Ron asked.

"A good question," Dumbledore replied. "Your friends are currently four years old, is that correct?" He directed this question to the two boys and both nodded. Neither understood what was going on but both were getting bored by all this 'adult business' and they quietly moved over to the corner of the office together.

"As each day passes," Dumbledore continued. "They will age one year. Tomorrow they will spend the day being five years old and the next they will be six and so on. Each new day they will have a years worth of memories but the memories they gain will not be what we know as what happened to them. They will remember growing up with you as their caretakers.

"When they reach sixteen again they will remember both lives they have lived: one with you and the one that we know of. They will be different; influenced by this other life." Dumbledore smiled at Pansy who looked outraged. "They will become normal again, don't worry Ms Parkinson. If they wish it, they will become their old selves in time."

"How long is 'in time'?" Pansy wanted to know. Dumbledore shrugged.

"It varies," he told her. He opened his mouth to say more but was interrupted by a yell from the corner.

"Stop it, your so stupid," Malfoy yelled at Harry, who glared back.

"Am not, you're the stupid one," he said, poking out his tongue.

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Boys, stop that," Dumbledore said quietly. The four year olds were quiet. Neither knew who Dumbledore was but they sensed he was someone to listen to.

"I'm assigning you two separate rooms. Mr Weasley and Ms Parkinson, you'll share one room and Harry and Draco will share the other."

_"What?" _Pansy and Ron asked together, horrified.

"I'm not sharing a room with _him_," Pansy shouted.

"Why can't I share with Harry and Parkinson can share with Malfoy?" Ron protested. Dumbledore simply shook his head.

"The boys need to share a room, which means you too have to as well. You'll take them to your classes with you; when Mr Weasley has one class and Ms Parkinson has another you will take whichever boy you prefer. You may not leave them on their own while they are still too young to look after themselves.

"When the time comes to explain to them a little of their past, please tell it to them as if it were another person doing these things. While they are under the potion's influence, it will be very confusing if you explain another life to them that they do not remember. Do not tell them about the potion until they have completed their sixteenth day. Now, I think you'd better go off to your classes, don't you?"

Ron and Pansy could only gape at him in horror. To share a bedroom with a Slytherin girl or a Gryffindor boy was beyond their worse nightmares.

"Harry, Draco. Come here; you're going to classes with Mr Weasley and Ms Parkinson today." Both boys looked excited at this and walked back to the group.

"But Sir…" Pansy began.

"Your professors will be missing you," Dumbledore said with a note of finality that neither Pansy nor Ron dared question. The sixteen year olds took the hands of the small boys and lead them out of the room.


	2. Age 4 and 5

**A/N: Sorry about the divination/professor Trelawney-ness. I forgot she wasn't there when I wrote this. **

"Ron, are we really going to classes with you?" Harry asked, holding tightly onto the hand of the sixteen year old. Ron looked down at the small boy.

"Only for today," he replied, knowing that, in Harry's mind, it would be another year before he went to class again.

"Yay!" Harry grinned widely. "Where are we going? Not potions; the teacher is so icky." Ron burst out laughing. Even at the age of four Harry still didn't like Professor Snape.

"No," he answered. "We're off to Divination."

"Us too?" Draco asked eagerly, pulling on Pansy's sleeve.

"No," Pansy answered without even looking at the blonde. "We're going to transfiguration. A _real_ class," she added, giving Ron a snooty look. Ron glared back but had no time to retort as they reached the corridor that would take them in separate directions.

"Class, you have done very well today," Professor Trelawney proclaimed, peering through her glasses. "I did not expect many of you to 'See'…"

Seamus poked Dean, who was snoring lightly, his head on the desk. Dean jerked up and looked around guiltily when his eye was caught by a movement from the trapdoor.

Ron climbed into the stuffy tower room, Harry in tow. Professor Trelawney stopped talking, staring at the pair.

"But how – Ah but of course I knew this was going to happen," she proclaimed. "How could it not with Saturn in this awkward position! My Dears," she announced, drawing closer. "My Dears, this is caused by the planets that we have recently been studying and the alignment of Saturn and Venus." Her voice dropped an octave becoming steadily more dramatic as she surveyed Harry. "I'm sorry to say that this – this de-aging – could be fatal."

Lavender and Parvati gasped and stared at Harry with wide eyes.

"Actually," Ron said. "It was caused by an Aging Potion. Professor Dumbledore told us." Seamus shoved his fist in his mouth to keep from laughing. Professor Trelawney, looking highly disgruntled, resumed her earlier position at the front of the class and continued to talk.

----------------------------------------

By the end of the day all of Hogwarts knew that Harry and Draco had somehow taken aging potions. What annoyed Ron the most were the girls who came up and cooed at the boys wherever they went. Harry shied away from the attention, while Draco thrived on it.

Eventually, unable to cope with all the people, Ron angrily put down his Transfiguration essay and left the library, Harry alongside him. Ron reached the Gryffindor common room, before realizing that was not where he was supposed to be. Groaning, the red head stomped around the corridors until he found the rooms he and Pansy had been given.

Entering, he found Pansy already there doing homework on her bed. She looked up only roll her eyes. Ignoring her, Ron pushed Harry towards the other room. The four year old looked up at his friend.

"Aren't you coming?" he asked. Ron sighed inwardly, knowing he would get no peace from Harry for a long time.

"Sure," he answered in a voice that held as much cheerfulness as he could muster. Harry slipped his small hand into Ron's much larger one and pulled him into the smaller room. Draco sat on the floor, playing with a toy wand and a stuffed turtle.

Ron looked around. There were two single beds for the boys and a cupboard on the wall. Through the open doors Ron could see that half of it was occupied by toys and games and the other half was stacked with boxes labeled _four, five, six,_ and so on.

Harry tugged on the sixteen year old's sleeve.

"Can I play with Draco?" he asked. Ron smiled and nodded. Draco looked up as Harry sat down next to him but said nothing, for which Ron was grateful.

"I'll just be in the next room if either of you two needs anything," he told the boys. Harry flashed him a smile and Draco nodded absently as Ron quickly went into his own room.

Ron sat down on his bed and pulled out his transfiguration essay. He had just picked up his quill when Pansy broke the silence.

"You're indulging him too much," she said. Ron looked up.

"Huh?" He asked, intelligently.

"He would have be fine walking into the other room on his own," Pansy continued. "He has to learn that you're not always going to be there to protect him."

Ron stared at the girl in disbelief. "Pansy, he's _four_," he pointed out.

"So? I don't know about Harry, but Draco could fend for himself when he was four years old." There was a slight question in her voice that Ron picked up on.

"I'm not going to tell you all about Harry's childhood," Ron said incredulously.

"Well, maybe you should," Pansy replied. "Seeing as I'm going to be living with him for the next two weeks."

Ron was shocked by how reasonable Pansy was being. He was used to a sneering, taunting Pansy, not a Pansy who talked – quite pleasantly, Ron thought – and behaved like a normal human being.

"Why would you need to know?" he asked aggressively, unwilling to give in and talk normally with Pansy.

"Well, I'm going to be helping take care of him," Pansy told him. "I'll need to know a little about him."

"But – but," Ron stuttered.

"But what?" Pansy asked.

"But I thought you were going to ignore him," Ron said confusedly. "I thought you hated him."

"Hate him? Of course I do," Pansy replied calmly. "But, as you said, he's four years old and needs someone to take care of him, just like Draco. Are you going to tell me anything or not?"

Grudgingly, Ron had to admit she was right. Deep down he felt a stirring of respect for the girl, the first emotion he'd ever had for her other that hatred. In a short form he quickly told Pansy about what Harry's life had been life living with the Dursleys. Not that Harry talked about it a lot, but his mother had said quite a bit about it at home, and he picked up the rest.

"What about Malfoy?" He asked. "What's his life been like?"

"Draco had a nanny to look after him until he was five," Pansy told him. "His parents were away a lot, so he was quite a nice kid; not having their influence. He was practically raised by his nanny, until Lucius fired her after he saw her shouting at Draco one time. Draco was devastated when she left; he adored her. From then onwards he saw a lot of his father and became a lot like him." Pansy wrinkled her nose. "He was taught to hate Mudbloods, to look down on wizard families that didn't have as much money as he did… I liked him a lot better when he was younger."

"So you've known him for a while then?" Ron asked.

"Are you kidding?" Pansy asked. "I've known him since I was born an probably before. We spent all our time together when we were little."

"You guys must be pretty close then."

Pansy opened her mouth to say something while turning to Ron. At the sight of him she seemed to remember who she was talking to. She closed her mouth abruptly and turned back to her homework. Ron shrugged and turned to his, working so intently that he didn't notice Pansy glancing up at him every now and then.

--------------------------------

Ron woke early the next morning to the sounds of two five year olds talking in the next room. Groaning, he rolled out of bed and went into their room, shutting the door behind him so as not to wake Pansy.

It seemed the two boys had learned to get along in the last year. They both sat on Harry's bed in their striped pajamas, talking quietly. As Ron came in big smiles lit up their faces.

"Ron!" Draco cried, coming to give him a hug. Ron was surprised but pleased at this show of affection.

"Hey Malfoy," he said. The little boy looked up at him, his brow crinkled in puzzlement.

"You said you weren't going to call me Malfoy anymore," he said, sounding hurt. "You _promised_ Ron."

"Oh yeah," Ron stammered. "Sorry Mal – Draco."

"Ron, do we _have_ to go to transfiguration with you?" Harry asked. "Pansy said we did, but I don't want to."

"Sorry guys, you have to come with us," Ron replied. "But it's time to get dressed now, can you two dress yourselves?"

"Of course," Draco replied indignantly. He walked to the cupboard and stood on tip toes to reach the box. At last he was forced to admit defeat.

"Ron can you get the box for us?" he asked sulkily. Ron smiled. He took down the box and went into his own room to get changed.

When he pulled back the hangings on his four poster bed he saw Pansy beginning to wake up. Her eyelashes fluttered a little as she sleepily opened her eyes and gave Ron a small smile.

_"She looks so cute like that,"_ Ron thought, and was immediately shocked that he'd thought that. Shaking his head he spoke, "Morning Pansy."

"Mmmfff," she grunted.

_"Obviously not a morning person."_

"Are they awake?" She jerked her head at the five year olds' room. As an answer, the boys in question came out.

Pansy giggled and Ron choked back a laugh.

"What?" Harry asked indignantly.

"I think we should help you get dressed," Pansy answered, trying to look solemn but a smile tugged the corners of her mouth up. Taking Draco and Harry by the hands she led them back into their room, where she started undressing them.

Pulling the socks off Harry's ears and the small jeans off Draco's arms she said, "You did a good job boys, but there are a few things we need to fix."

Ron stopped her. "Uh, Pansy, don't you think I should do this?" he asked.

"Why?" Pansy asked. She obviously knew the answer, but wanted to hear him say it.

"Well, you know," Ron said uncomfortably. "Because you're a girl." Pansy rolled her eyes.

"I have a little brother. You think I haven't seen this before?" She handed Harry over to him. "You take care of Harry and I'll do Draco. That way we're both protecting our friends' privacy."

Half an hour later Ron, Pansy and two properly dressed boys made their way down to the great hall for breakfast. Ron led Harry over to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Hermione.

"Hey Harry," Hermione cooed. Harry gave her a toothy smile and reached for some toast.

"Um, Ron?" Pansy stood over him with her hands on her hips. "Don't you think they should stay together?"

"Ok, so sit Draco down with us and we'll have breakfast." Pansy opened her mouth to argue but Hermione cut in with, "Draco can eat with us today at the Gryffindor table and tomorrow Harry can eat with you at the Slytherin table. Does that keep everybody happy?" Ron gasped at the idea of Harry eating with the Slytherins but Pansy was already walking away.

Draco seated himself next to Harry and grabbed a plate of bacon.

"This is going to be hard," Ron confided to Hermione. "Transfiguration is hard enough but transfiguration with Harry and Draco? I'll be keeping one eye on them all the time while my spell goes wrong and McGonagall yells at me. Wonderful."

"Pansy and I will be helping you," Hermione replied comfortingly. She was going to say more but Ron cut across her.

"Harry, what are you doing?" he asked. Harry looked up guiltily, shoving the toad behind his back.

"Uh, nothing," he said, attempting a cute smile.

"Yeah, nothing," Draco echoed, but there was a trace of a smirk on his face, and it quickly spread to Harry's. Neville chose that moment to sit down gloomily.

"I've lost Trevor again," he said to Ron and Hermione. Ron simply raised his eyebrows at the two giggling five year olds.

"Guys, give Neville his toad back."

"Aw," Harry pouted as he handed it over. "He was gonna be fun." Draco nodded along miserably.

"Ron, are we going yet?" Draco complained. "I'm bored."

"In a minute," Ron said, glancing at Hermione. "Let's finish eating first though, ok?"

------------------------------------

Ron was feeling relieved that they had managed to get the boys to the class. Harry had kicked up a tantrum, screaming that he didn't want to go to class and Draco had backed him up. Finally Pansy had cast a silencing spell on them, so that they could only rub their throats and glare at their caretakers and Hermione. It had taken all three to carry them successfully to the classroom, while they kicked and struggled silently. They had been put in seats and Pansy had removed the spell after making them promise that they'd stop screaming.

They'd begun the lesson on turning mice into desk lamps and Harry was watching with avid attention. Draco, however, was getting bored. He got up and wandered around the classroom, stopping to look at people casting spells or peeing into cupboards.

"Mr Malfoy, would you please sit down," Professor McGonagall called.

"But Professor, I'm bored," Draco whined. Professor McGonagall simply sighed. Draco kept wandering for a few more minutes until the professor, tired of it, simply picked him up, went back to her seat and placed him on her lap. She absentmindedly rubbed his back while she kept writing her letter.

Late that night Ron sat scribbling his transfiguration essay while Pansy slept in her bed. The boys were already asleep. Throughout the day they had planned and performed many jokes and Ron and Pansy had had a hard time keeping an eye on them. They also had a tendency to explore the castle and the sixteen year olds had panicked a few times when they realised the boys were lost.

How were they going to keep this up for another 10 days?


	3. Age 6

**A/n: I'd like to assure everyone that this story does actually have a plot. It just hasn't started yet. It will in this chapter though, don't worry.**

**Disclaimer: As you all know, I own nothing.**

Pansy was woken that morning by a six year launching himself on top of her.

"Guess what, Pansy, guess what?" The boy yelled, his tone telling her that it was Draco. Pansy opened her eyes wearily and started when she saw silver eyes only two centimeters from her own, staring at her.

"What, Draco?" She asked.

"It's my birthday in four days!" Draco said excitedly. Pansy blinked. She was fairly sure Draco's birthday was in July, and it was only December. Before she could say so, however, Draco yelled, "Do you know what I want?"

"Inside voice, Draco," Pansy said automatically. "You'll wake Ron and Harry."

"Sorry." Draco lowered his voice. "Well, I want a toy broomstick that flies and a wand and an owl and…"

"Ok, ok," Pansy laughed. "I think that's enough to be getting on with." She winked at the boy. "But you never know, do you?"

Draco practically bubbled over with excitement. He gave Pansy a hug which almost strangled her and then ran into the other room. Pansy watched him, smiling and then glanced at her watch to see that it was almost time for breakfast.

"Ron," she said softly. "Get up. It's breakfast time."

"Mmmm," was his response, as he turned over. Pansy smiled.

"Ron, you have to get up now." Ron mumbled something incoherently. Pansy shook him, and then let go after a second, feeling heat rushing up her arm. Frightened by this, she stepped back.

Ron sat up, apparently noticing nothing.

"Hey, Pansy, it's time for breakfast," he said.

------------------------

The four sat down at the Gryffindor table. They had decided the previous day that they would all sit together at that table as the Slytherins didn't seem to like having the small boys there.

Pansy was still a bit uncertain as to how to talk to Ron. Her stomach kept producing strange feelings when she looked at him, and she was terrified of sounding quavery.

She managed to keep up a normal conversation with him, however, until he cut across her. "What are you two plotting?" Ron asked. Harry and Draco were sitting with their heads down, whispering secretively.

"Nothing," Harry said, with an innocent smile. Ron just looked at them.

------------------------------------

As soon as they arrived at potions, Draco let out a cry and ran forward.

"Uncle Sev!" He yelled, throwing himself at the man. "I haven't seen you for ages!"

Snape had a shocked expression on his face as he looked down at the arms around him and patted Draco on the back awkwardly.

"Uncle Sev, will you do the whirly thing?" Draco looked up at the Professor. "Please?"

"Draco, I really don't think," Snape began.

"Please?" Draco had an expression on his face that had all the girls in the class longing to say, "Aw!"

Snape sighed.

"Alright. But only once, ok?" Draco nodded eagerly. Snape lifted the boy up and spun him around in the air, while Draco shrieked and giggled. He was placed back on the ground while Snape glared at the rest of the class who were fighting to hold in their laughter.

"Page 53. Get started immediately," the teacher snapped at them.

-----------------------------

"Let's see, whose potion should we test?" Snape looked around the class with a nasty smile. His gaze fell on Neville. "Yes, I think. Mr Longbottom, kindly bring your goblet of sleeping draught up here."

Neville glanced around him with a white face and stepped up beside Snape.

"Now, if Mr Longbottom has made his potion correctly – which I highly doubt he has – then he should fall asleep as soon as he takes it. Mr Longbottom?"

Neville closed his eyes and took a big gulp of the potion. The Slytherins smiled gleefully and the Gryffindors waited breathlessly. And then – "Chirrup," said Neville. His eyes widened and he tried to speak, making only another chirrup sound.

"Mr Longbottom, what have you done?" Snape asked, over the laughter of the Slytherins. "Have you added something entirely new? I don't see any reason why your potion should make you chirrup."

Neville shook his head and chirruped again. Snape sighed.

"Very well. The potion will wear off soon. Mr Zambini, please bring your potion up and we'll see what was _supposed_ to happen." He glared nastily at Neville who chirruped again.

Blaise Zambini took his potion and stood in front of the class. Grinning at the Slytherins he took his potion. The class waited. Seeing nothing happening, Blaise opened his mouth to speak.

"Chirrup," he said.

None of the Gryffindors' laughter was louder than the six year olds'. Ron peered at them suspiciously.

"Did you do something?" he asked them.

"No," Draco replied. He glanced at Harry and they both burst out laughing again. By now Snape's attention was on them.

"What have you done?" he asked. Harry cowered back, frightened by Snape's tone but Draco stepped boldly forward.

"Uncle Sev," he said, making the entire class look at him in surprise. "We put – we put…" He looked at Harry whose body was shaking with silent laughter. "We put sugar in the potions!"

Nearly the whole class snorted with laughter into the cauldrons. Snape silenced them with a look.

"Five points from Gryffindor," Snape said, turning on his heel and walking back to front of the class.

"What?" Seamus asked. "Why?"

"I've no doubt it was Potter's idea," Snape said coldly. And that will be another five points for speaking back to me, Mr Finnegan."

No one dared say anything else, but most Gryffindors kicked their cauldrons by way of venting their feelings.

----------------------------

Harry and Draco lay sleeping quietly. All was still and silent in their room until a rat cautiously poked its nose out of a cupboard. The rat held a chocolate wrapper in its teeth as it scurried across the floor, glancing around nervously. It made soft scrabbling noises as it moved, except for with one paw, which was missing a toe.

The rat reached one of the beds in the room and began to climb. When it reached the top it scurried lightly across the bed, depositing its prize in the small, outstretched hand of the boy occupying it. Its task done, the rat went back to way it came. It was running across the floor when the door opened, bathing it in light. The red-headed sixteen year-old looked at it for a moment, taking in its patchy fur and missing toe. Then: "Scabbers," the boy breathed.

He lunged for the rat, which, panicking, ran out the door and lost itself in the mess of the other room.

"Pansy, grab the rat," Ron called softly over his shoulder.

"The what?" Pansy sounded disgusted. Ron didn't waste time trying to explain. He strode over to the boys, trying to notice anything that shouldn't be there.

Then he saw it. In Harry's hand was a candy wrapper which hadn't been there when Ron had checked on them half an hour earlier. Ron grabbed it and threw it on the floor, before running in to explain what was happening to Pansy.

"I'll stay here with the boys and make sure they don't touch it," Pansy said. "Go to Professor Dumbledore; he'll know what to do." Ron nodded and left immediately.

He found Dumbledore in pajamas and a night-cap. Embarrassed, Ron stared down at his knees as he explained what had gone on. Dumbledore looked thoughtful.

"So he sent in Peter to give them a portkey… Very clever." Dumbledore stopped and seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. Ron waited for a while before venturing to ask, "Sir… Professor Dumbledore? Do you think it was You-Know-Who who gave Harry and Draco the potions?"

Dumbledore fixed Ron with a look.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"Well… er…" Ron trailed off, having no idea what to say. Then he thought of something else. "Sir, if he did give them the potions, why would he want to give one to Draco as well? What does that have to do with it?"

"We may never know," Dumbledore answered. He was quiet for a few minutes and then stood up.

"Drop something you don't need onto the portkey to see if it's still working. If it is, make sure nobody touches it and it will be removed in the morning. If not, you can simply throw it out and go to bed."

Ron nodded and stood up to go.

"Mr Weasley," Dumbledore said. "I'll put an anti-portkey charm around the castle. If something like this happens again, please report it to me immediately." Ron nodded again.

"Thank you, Sir," he said.

"Goodnight."

-----------------------------------

After testing the portkey and finding that it was harmless, Ron told Pansy what Dumbledore had said. She nodded.

"I didn't think we'd be attacked while they were young," she told him. She lay down. "Goodnight, Ron."

"Night," Ron replied, his mind already drifting back to sleep.

He and Pansy didn't notice a rat emerging from it hiding place and running swiftly out of the room.

In the boys room all was silent again. Neither of the boys had woken during the commotion, for which Ron and Pansy were grateful. It was another ten minutes before Harry began tossing and turning, tormented by the dream in his mind.

_A cowering man with a twitching nose, who looked more like a rat than a human, knelt before a tall man in dark robes._

_"You have displeased me, Wormtail," The tall man said._

_"My Lord, I swear, I did everything you asked; I followed all of your instructions…"_

_"Silence,' the man commanded. There was a brief pause while he stared at the kneeling man. "Ah. I see. You failed to take proper precautions. You were so foolhardy as to believe you did not need to perform the safety measures I told you to."_

_"My Lord," gasped Wormtail. "My Lord, I never -,"_

_"Crucio."__ He tall man lifted his wand and Wormtail curled up on the floor, screaming in agony. He tall man simply watched, smiling. At last he lifted the curse and Wormtail lay, gibbering on the floor._

_"You must try again."_

_"Yes, My Lord, of course -,"_

_"You cannot have the same plan as you did before."_

_"No My Lord, I couldn't. Dumbledore has put an anti-portkey charm on the castle."_

_"I see." The man's voice was cooler and Wormtail hurried to make amends._

_"But I will think of something else my Lord."_

_"Of course you will. Now be gone."_

Harry woke abruptly. He turned over and fell asleep again. When he woke again, later he remember nothing of his dream.


	4. Age 7

"I'm not going," Harry said defiantly.

"Yes you are," Ron said firmly.

"No he's not," Draco said just as firmly. "And neither am I."

Pansy and Ron, needing a break, had organized for Lavender and Parvati to look after their two charges for the Saturday. The girls were delighted at this but, needless to say, the boys weren't too happy about it.

"They're so icky," Draco complained. "They always coo at us and use stupid voices."

"And," Harry put in impressively. "They're _girls_." Pansy raised her eyebrows. "I mean," The seven year old said hurriedly. "They're _stupid_ girls. But you're a cool girl, Pansy." Pansy smiled a little. "'Sides," Harry went on comfortingly. "You're more like a boy than a girl anyway."

Harry meant this as a compliment but Pansy didn't see it that way. Her mouth tightened and, too late, Harry saw his mistake.

"Ron is going to take you to the Gryffindor common room and you're going to stay with Lavender and Parvati and behave yourselves," Pansy snapped. "And I don't want to hear another word about it."

Sending Pansy a small, comforting smile, Ron led the boys out of the room into the cold passageways of the castle.

"Is Pansy mad at me now?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," Draco said. "You said something bad."

"You weren't very tactful," Ron answered.

"Yes he was!" Draco put in. Ron shook his head. Harry and Draco argued often but in the last few days they had become best friends and would protect each other from anything.

"Don't worry," Ron said as they reach Gryffindor tower. "She'll be fine by tonight. Now have fun with Lavender and Parvati. And _behave yourselves_," he added as they nodded gloomily.

"Hello," Lavender cooed at the boys. The seven year olds looked at each other and Ron saw a spark of mischief in Draco's eye. Ron gave Lavender and Parvati a small smile.

"Have fun," he said, before heading away to find Hermione.

Ron saw his friend sitting in the corner of the common room talking to a seventh year Gryffindor boy Ron knew by sight but not by name. He had said something and Hermione was laughing, shaking her bushy hair back over her shoulder. The boy smiled and shifted a little closer to her.

Ron was amazed to find he felt perfectly calm. _"A few days ago I would've been in a wild fit of jealousy," _he thought with surprise. _"I would've walked over and scared him away so I could keep Hermione to myself. Now I just feel happy for her. What's going on?" _Ron was confused. He'd liked Hermione since the beginning of fourth year – there was a reason he'd never liked Krum – and now all that was gone in a just a few days? Ron shook his head and left his friend in peace.

The red head made his way down to the Great Hall and sat down next to Dean. He was buttering his toast when he realised there was something missing. It felt funny not to have Pansy and the boys sitting with him. It felt ever stranger not to be watching out for the boys planning something, as they did often. Ron was surprised to find to find that he missed having the other three around. Well, maybe not the boys, but it was weird not to have Pansy sitting next to him,

Now, Ron felt her absence keenly and looked over to the Slytherin table. Pansy sat there, having no reason to sit with the Gryffindors today, chatting animatedly to another girl. She didn't look at Ron and seemed to have no feeling of a strange absence. Ron sighed and watched her for a minute.

Pansy was talking her friend Kaitlin from fourth year.

"It must be so awful for you having to be with the Gryffindors all the time," Kaitlin said sympathetically. "How are you coping?"

"It's not too bad," Pansy said. _'Actually it's pretty damned good,' _she thought to herself, but didn't confide this thought to Kaitlin.

"Really? Well that's good. So they're not really all 'noble' and crap?"

"Well, they are noble some of the time," Pansy conceded with a laugh, thinking of how Ron had saved Harry from the portkey. "But they don't rub it in or anything." Her friend laughed.

"Lucky for you. So anyway, how's Blaise going? I guess you haven't been seeing much of him lately."

"I don't think I like him that much anymore," Pansy said almost automatically. _'I think I like the red-haired type now,' _she thought, and was shocked by it. Kaitlin was speaking but Pansy had no idea what she saying. "Anyway," Pansy cut across. "I've really got a lot of homework to catch up on so I'll see you later?"

"Uh, sure," Kaitlin said, looking surprised. "See you."

Ron watched Pansy leave the hall and turned back to his half-cold toast with a sigh. This wasn't right. It couldn't be happening. He couldn't really like Pansy… could he?

Ron had no time to dwell on this as a shriek came from the other end of the table. He looked up to see fireworks shooting around the room, bouncing off the walls. Girls were screaming and covering their heads. Ron looked down the table. The fireworks seemed to be originating from a goblet of pumpkin juice which sat in front of two grinning seven-year-old boys. Ron left the hall fast, not wanting to have to deal with this. As he walked out of the door Lavender and Parvati were attempting to control the boys and stop the fireworks at the same time – which just made things worse. Ron quickly made his way to the library and hid himself in the rows of books.

He tried to get on with his dream chart, but instead found himself thinking of Pansy. When he looked up and saw a dark-haired girl sitting at a table in the corner he first thought that his thoughts had somehow created an illusion, but then realised that it was the real thing. Pansy was bending over her work, her hair swinging in front of her face, and she kept pushing it back with a cute look of irritation on her face. Ron had a sudden urge to go and hold it out of the way for as long as she wanted.

He shook his head, and forced himself to concentrate. Nothing was going to happen between himself and Pansy and Ron would just have to cope with that.

------------------------------

Pansy was frowning as she attempted to keep her mind on her work. She was very conscious of Ron sitting not far from her, but forced herself not to look around. She could just imagine what he'd do if he found out she kept on thinking about him. Pansy slipped into a world of imagination as her hand kept writing. When she came back to herself, Pansy realised with a shock that all she'd been writing was, _Ron, Ron, Ron, Ron._

_-------------------------------------------_

Pansy returned to their bedroom at around the boys' bedtime after spending most of the day in the library or the Slytherin common room. As she neared the room she heard hysterical laughter coming out, and opened the door cautiously.

Ron and Draco had a laughing Harry pinned to Ron's bed and were tickling him mercilessly. Pansy smiled at the sight; it looked so cute! The noise of the door shutting alerted the others to her presence and Harry cried out: "Help me Pansy!" then trailed off into laughter as Draco tickled his stomach. Pansy grinned and obliged the boy by lifting Draco into the air, running into the boys' bedroom, dumping him on the bed and tickling his ribs. Harry ran in and joined in enthusiastically as Draco rolled around laughing and choking out for them to stop.

The three kept this up for a few more moments and then Pansy stopped.

"Alright guys," she said, smiling. "Time for bed."

"Aw, Pansy!" The boys protested together. "Not yet."

"Yes, come on," she said, shepherding them to their beds and tucking them in. She knew that as soon as she left the room they'd be out of bed again, but she could pretend she didn't know that.

"Night guys," she said.

"Night Pansy," they chimed.

She turned off the light and shut the door as she went into the other room where Ron was sitting on his bed. Pansy sat down on her own and stretched.

"Mmmm, that was fun. I never guess those two would be ticklish."

"Yeah, me either," Ron agree. He looked at Pansy with a strange gleam in his eyes that did not go unnoticed.

"What?" Pansy asked suspiciously. Ron started to smile.

"Pansy," he said, the smile growing bigger. "Are you ticklish?"

"What?" Pansy asked, then replied uncertainly: "N-No. Of course not."

Ron grinned and tackled his friend, sending her flying backwards onto the bed as he began to tickle her. Pansy immediately began to laugh.

"Stop Ron," she gasped. "S-Stop it!"

"Say uncle," Ron grinned.

"Uncle," Pansy squealed.

"What was that? I didn't hear."

"UNCLE!" Pansy cried. Ron stopped.

After a few seconds, they both noticed the position they were in. Ron sat on top of Pansy and both were panting. They stared at each other as Ron slowly closed the distance between themand captured her lips with his.

---------------------

It was half an hour later that Ron slipped into bed, heart thudding excitedly. He couldn't believe what had just happened. He grinned. Maybe it wasn't so bad sharing a room with a Slytherin girl. Things were looking up.


	5. Age 8

**Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing you recognise.**

Pansy opened her eyes to see Ron looking at her from his bed. She felt herself blushing.

"What?" Pansy asked self-consciously. Ron smiled.

"Nothing. I was thinking how cute you look when you're sleeping."

Pansy smiled. "What about when I'm awake?"

"Awake?" Ron repeated. "Why, then you're even cuter." Pansy grinned and made her way over to his bed. She sat down and was about to kiss him when raised voices were heard from the other room. Groaning, Pansy sat up.

"I'll see to it," she said.

"Thanks," Ron replied. "I'm going to the common room for a minute to grab some homework." He smirked. "I won't leave you with the little terrors for too long." Pansy grunted.

"You'd better not. See you soon."

--------------------------------

When Ron reached the common room he looked around for Hermione, but couldn't see her.

"Lavender," he called. "Where's Hermione?" Both Lavender and Parvati giggled.

"She's right over there," Lavender said, pointing at the couch.

Ron stared. It was no wonder he hadn't recognized his friend. She had straight hair, and instead of the normally loose and comfortable clothes she wore, Hermione was dressed in a short skirt which showed off her good legs and a tank top which flaunted her good figure. If Ron had still felt the same way about Hermione as he did a few days ago he would have guessed that now would be the time for a cold shower.

However, it was someone else who was looking as though he needed the shower – and quickly. The boy Ron had seen talking to Hermione yesterday was sitting with one arm around the girl and kept staring at Hermione's body before guiltily dragging his eyes back up to her face, which he did seem to find just as enthralling. Ron just shook his head and smiled, ignoring Lavender and Parvati, who were whispering and giggling as they watched the two on the couch.

Ron walked by them and up to the dormitory to get the work he'd left there the day before. He'd been hoping for someone to talk to about last night, but it seemed the other boys were all at breakfast. Feeling slightly disappointed, Ron left the common room to go back to the room he shared with Pansy.

While he was approaching the room, Ron heard the sound of the boys yelling and Pansy trying to control them. He walked in to find a full-scale tantrum going on.

"I hate it! I hate you! I hate all of you!" Draco screamed.

"Draco, just calm down," Pansy said in a voice that was trying to be controlled, but was betrayed by the angry look in her eyes.

"I won't! You always leave me out of things! I'm sick of it! Just leave me alone!"

Draco tried to run past Ron and out the door, but the older boy caught him as he went past.

"Draco," Ron warned.

"Get off! I hate you!" Draco screamed again and lashed out at Ron, hitting him on the cheek. Caught by surprise, Ron let go of the boy and he was off. The door slammed and Draco was gone.

Ron walked forward. "What happened?" he asked Pansy and a shell-shocked Harry. Pansy glanced down at the eight-year-old.

"Harry was teasing him, weren't you Harry? You were saying that you knew all of our secrets and that we didn't trust Draco with them. Weren't you Harry?"

"Yes," Harry murmured almost inaudibly.

"Harry." Ron looked at the boy in surprise. He hadn't thought Harry would be mean like that. "Why did you do that?" Harry said nothing. "Well?" Harry shrugged.

"I don't know," he said, still in the same soft voice. "I just did."

Ron and Pansy's eyes met and they both understood what to do.

"Harry, go to your room," Ron commanded. "You can come out later." Harry nodded and shuffled towards his room.

"I'm sorry," he said in a small voice. Ron and Pansy said nothing.

------------------------------------

Draco was down in the dungeons sitting on the lap of the potions master. Angry tears were spilling out of his eyes and Professor Snape was rubbing his back comfortingly.

"I hate them," Draco muttered in between sobs. "They always leave me out. Harry's more special to them than I am."

"Draco," Snape began soothingly. "You're very special to them. Just as they're special to you."

"They're not," Draco muttered rebelliously. Snape chose to ignore this comment, and concentrated on making Draco feel better.

-----------------------------

At around 11:30 that night, all four of them were fast asleep. In the boys' room Draco was sleeping peacefully, but Harry was tossing and turning, tormented once again by a dream.

_The tall man stood in the middle of the floor. There was no one else in sight, though Harry could sense another person in the room. _

_"You will not fail me this time, will you Wormtail?" the man asked._

_"No, my Lord," Harry heard the other squeak._

_"Good." The tall man pulled out a wand and flicked it in a complicated pattern, saying words that Harry could not understand._

_"Thank you my Lord." The voice saying this was a different one, a slightly familiar one, though it came from the same place as Wormtail's had._

_"Go," commanded the tall man and a loud crack told Harry that the other man had apparated._

The dream changed into something else and Harry slept on for half an hour before he felt himself being shaken awake.

Ron stood over him. He put a finger to his lips and motioned for Harry to follow him out of their room and into the corridor. They didn't notice another pair of eyes watching them from the other bed.

Draco was furious. After what had happened this afternoon, everyone had apologized for making him feel that he was left out; yet here Ron and Harry were doing it again! Draco quietly got out of bed and followed them, peering into the corridor where Ron was leading Harry away. Draco turned back quickly to make sure Pansy was still asleep and then did a double take. Not one bed, but two were occupied. _Ron was still in bed._

Draco looked out the corridor again, clearly seeing Ron taking away Harry. _'It's a trick,'_ Draco thought numbly. _'It must be.'_ However, a sense of uneasiness was growing. Giving into it, he woke his two caretakers and explained what was happening.

----------------------------

Meanwhile, Harry was being lead down the passageway.

"Where are we going?" he asked the red head, but he said nothing except: "Shh. I need to tell you something, but not here."

They walked on for a while and Harry was growing increasingly impatient. He started to whine.

"Ron, where are we going? Why are we going there? What's happening?" Ron took no notice except to tell him to be quiet. At last he turned and grabbed Harry's arm, tight enough to hurt.

"Shut the hell up," he hissed. I'll tell you when I'm ready." Shocked, Harry followed silently, not daring to complain anymore.

At last Ron stopped before an old portrait. He tapped it with his wand and whispered something that made the portrait swing forward.

"Is this a -,"

"Secret passageway, yes," Ron said. "Quickly, go in."

"But why are we -,"

"Just go!" Ron started shoving him in, when they were interrupted by a yell.

Three people raced towards them – Draco, Pansy and Ron, who was holding the Marauder's map. Harry stared at them, looking from one Ron to the other.

"Harry," Pansy cried. "Quickly, get over here."

"Harry," the Ron who had led him there was speaking. "This is what I was going to tell you. Pansy and Draco – they're evil, Harry. They're Slytherins. They're trying to kill you – they've even got a double of me to make you trust them!"

Harry looked doubtfully from one to the other. He didn't know who to trust.

"Harry, c'mere," Draco yelled. "He's going to kill you."

The Ron with Pansy and Draco had pulled out his wand and shot a stunning spell at the other Ron. Pansy and Draco followed suit but the other Ron was dodging all of them. He pulled out his wand and bellowed, "Sectumsempra!"

Pansy dodged the curse, but it hit her on the shoulder. She gasped and fell to the floor, clutching her shoulder which was bleeding frantically. His mind made up, Harry ran towards Pansy, realizing that the real Ron would never use this spell. Seeing this, the fake Ron turned and ran down the passageway, closing it as he ran.

"Follow him," Ron yelled, running after him, but the portrait refused to open.

"You need a password," Harry explained. "I don't know it."

Ron nodded. "We should get Pansy to the hospital wing straightaway," he said, helping her up and supporting her. She had gone alarmingly white and Ron hurried to get her to Madame Pomfry.

------------------------------------

Ron made his way up to Professor Dumbledore's office after leaving the boys with Pansy in the hospital wing. Madame Pomfry had assured them that Pansy would be alright in a few hours, but Ron was still going to return as soon as he had spoken to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore looked very serious when Ron had finished relating his tale.

"I assume there was a portkey waiting outside, or perhaps Peter had planned to apparate both of them." He was silent for a minute. "I'll put a charm on your rooms," he told Ron. "No one will be able to enter other than the four of you."

"Thank you Sir," Ron stood up. "Goodnight."

---------------------------

Ron returned to the hospital wing to find Pansy sitting up in bed. Madame Pomfry was insisting that she stay overnight to make sure she was alright so Ron took a seat next to the boys.

Locking eyes with Pansy, they silently agreed that it was time to tell them about Voldemort. Haltingly, Ron explained who Voldemort was, how and why he'd killed Harry's parents, and how Harry was the sole survivor of the attack.

Then he told them about Harvey Grotter who had gone through Hogwarts, facing Voldemort every year and defeating him with the Philosopher's stone, the Chamber of Secrets and many other ways ending with finding a prophecy. Harry and Draco listened with wide eyes and when at last Ron finished there was an awed silence.

"Wow," Draco breathed.

"What happened to Harvey?" Harry asked. Pansy and Ron exchanged glances.

"He… disappeared," Ron told them. The two boys nodded, still staring at Ron.

"Alright," Ron said, feeling uncomfortable. "Time to let Pansy go to sleep." He led the boys back to their rooms, and within moments they were fast asleep.


	6. Age 9

Ron woke early and lay still for a moment before remembering the night before. Realizing that he had to collect Pansy from the hospital wing before the boys woke up, he swung himself out of bed. It had only been a night for them, but to the now nine-year-olds, it would seems that Pansy had been in the hospital wing for a whole year if Ron didn't collect his girlfriend now.

Ron checked on Harry and Draco before he left and saw them both lying quietly, sleeping. He left them, but didn't notice that while Draco was sleeping normally, Harry's body was unnaturally stiff, and he had a cruel look on his face. If Ron had seen what Harry was seeing, he would have been even more scared.

_"Wormtail," the cold voice came from the tall man Harry now knew was called Voldemort. "You have failed me again."_

_"My Lord, I apologise," Wormtail squeaked. "I didn't -,"_

_"You didn't think that the other boy was a threat?" The voice sounded slightly amused now. "Come, Wormtail, you have met the boy's father many times. You did not think his son would live up to his superior detection skills?"_

_"I – I didn't," Wormtail said wildly. "I thought -,"_

_"Silence.__ You did not think. You failed. You will not be given another chance."_

_"My Lord," Wormtail gasped. "Please – I can do it – I will succeed next time…"_

_"Crucio."_

_This time the scream of agony were silent, but Harry, watching could still feel his stomach turn at the way the man on the ground was twitching and jerking, the look on his face conveying every ounce of pain he was feeling. Harry could almost feel it too and screamed along with him, the sound filling his own ears until he felt fit to burst, until he felt he would pass out, until…_

"Harry! Harry, wake up!" It was Draco's voice. Harry sat up slowly, the screams dying in his voice. Draco looked terrified and Harry, seeing a mirror, could see why. His own face was whiter than a ghost's, and tear streaks covered his face. Squinting, Harry could almost make out a flat, serpent like nose, and his eyes had a red tinge to them…

Then it was gone and Harry face was his own again, though the tear streaks remained.

"What happened, Harry?" Draco breathed. Harry shook his head, unable to answer. He was still full of horror at what he had seen. He was thankful to hear the door open and looked up to see Ron and Pansy walk in together.

As soon as they saw the boys' faces, the six-teen year-olds hurried forwards.

"What happened?" Pansy demanded. "Are you alright? You're not hurt are you?"

These few seconds had allowed Harry to fully come back to himself and he was able to haltingly explain what had happened. Draco looked sick.

"He was screaming and screaming and I couldn't wake him up," Draco told them. He shivered. "It was really scary."

Ron looked at Pansy, unable to think of something to say.

"Well, it's over now," Pansy said gently. She gathered the two boys into her arms and gave them a comforting hug. "You'll be ok. Don't be scared."

They both nodded.

"Let's go to breakfast," Harry said, with the air of changing the subject.

"Alright," Pansy agreed. "You guys don't have to come to class with us today. You can stay here and rest or explore the castle. But you can't go outside ok?" They nodded again.

"Good." Pansy got up. "Let's go then."

--------------------------------

"Come on," Draco pleaded.

"I don't feel like it," Harry answered. "Besides, he's probably teaching."

"He's not, I checked his timetable." Draco surveyed Harry. "You're scared of him aren't you?"

"I am _not_ scared of Professor Snape,' Harry said heatedly.

"Yes you are. You're too chicken to come with me and see him."

"I'm not!" Harry stood up. "Fine, I'll come with you. I'm not scared."

Draco watched him stalk out the door, smirking. His plan had worked.

---------------------------------

"Hey Uncle Sev," Draco called, bouncing into the dungeon office. Snape looked up from his marking.

"Hello there Draco. Hi Harry."

"Hi," Harry muttered quietly.

"Can we come and talk to you?" Draco asked eagerly. "I hardly ever get to see you anymore."

"Of course you can," Snape said, with a welcoming smile. "Sit down."

Draco took a seat at once but Harry remained standing. He wandered around the room, looking curiously at the things in there while Draco and Snape talked. He would have liked to sit down as well, but, as Draco had said, he was a bit afraid of the potions teacher with the forbidding black eyes and terrifying glare.

"For Goodness sake Potter," Snape said at last, though not unkindly. "Come and sit down with us." He smiled coaxingly at the boy. "I promise I don't bite."

This prompted a small smile from the boy and he at last moved towards the pair, taking a seat on the other side of Draco. He listened to the others talk, though not adding anything of his own in, but he was enjoying it. He was feeling much better now, and had almost forgotten the feeling the dream had given him. All too soon, it was lunchtime, and the three were going to the Great Hall to eat.

--------------------------

Harry and Draco joined their caretakers in class that afternoon. Charms with Professor Flitwick was first and the boys delighted in running around the classroom surprising people and making them miss whatever they were aiming, resulting in many objects whizzing around the room and landing with a thud on people's heads or desks. When Professor Flitwick himself flew over everyone's head and hit the wall on the other side of the classroom, he decided that enough was enough and cast spells on the two to turn them into rather large chickens.

The bell rang as they were beginning to molt, and they trooped off to potions, still trying to control a lingering clucking in their voices.

"That was fun," Draco proclaimed, pulled a feather off his arm and wincing. "But potions will be better. Potions are cool!"

And indeed, Draco was very well behaved that lesson, watching attentively as Ron painstakingly made his potion. Harry wasn't so enthralled and instead took out a book and started to read. No one seemed to mind, and Harry got so caught up in his book that he didn't even notice the bell ringing until Snape startled him out of his little world by asking him amusedly if he planned to stay in the dungeon all afternoon. Harry turned red and scrambled to his feet.

"It's alright Harry," Snape told him. "I wasn't laughing at you." Harry flashed him a grateful smile and then hurried to Ron who was waiting for him.

-----------------------------------------

The rest of the evening passed quickly. Harry and Draco ran around their room playing Super Hero's while Ron and Pansy tried to ignore them and do their homework.

Draco had first said that Super Hero's was a stupid game, because wizards could do magic things too but they didn't save the world. However, Harry had brought him around and the idea of being a hero had quickly latched on so that Draco was now imagining himself as the sole person saving the world and had told Harry that he could only be a side-kick. Fortunately, Harry had accepted this idea and they were now playing noisily.

When finally they went to bed, their caretakers sighed in relief.

"I thought they'd never go," Pansy said, grinning. Ron laughed and joined her on her bed.

"Me either," he murmured, and the feel of his breath on her ear made Pansy shiver.

"Ron," she murmured. Ron shook his head, put a finger to his lips and kissed her.

"Worry about things later," he told her when he came up for air. "We've got better things to do."


	7. Age 12

**A/N: I've skipped a few years here. They're 12 now, so don't be confused.**

**Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing.**

Ron was woken by a twelve-year-old's whisper.

"Ron, wake up." It was Harry. "We've got to go to breakfast." Ron sat up. It looked as though Pansy had already left. "Pansy had to be there early because she has to talk to Professor McGonagall about her subject choices," Harry explained.

"Oh yeah." Ron hoisted himself out of bed. "You two go on down. I'll be a minute or two."

"Alright."

Harry and Draco left the room together. They would be attending class with the second years this morning as they were now twelve years old. It had felt funny to Pansy and Ron the day before when they had gone off to class with the first years, but they had decided they liked it. There wasn't so much to worry about when the boys were occupied with classes and homework.

Ron readied himself and then left for the Great Hall, hoping to find his girlfriend waiting for him, but it seemed there was no such luck.

"Pansy's not here yet," Draco informed Ron. A smile crossed his face and he said, "Your make-out session will have to wait till later."

"Hey." Ron swatted the twelve-year-old. "That's enough. Eat your breakfast."

Turning to Harry, Ron noticed the boy looked quite pale.

"Hey, are you feeling ok?" he asked worriedly. Harry shook his head.

"No. I'm feeling kind of sick actually."

"Maybe you shouldn't go to class today," Ron said. "Use the time to rest. You don't look well." Harry nodded.

"I'm going back to bed," he said, and left.

Back upstairs, Harry fell into a fitful sleep. He had a slight fever, but this was not the cause of his restlessness. He was being subjected once again to one of the dreams that seemed to be coming more and more frequently. He tossed and turned unable to escape from his vision…

_Voldemort stood before a circle of followers._

_"It matters not that Wormtail -," he indicated the man cowering on the ground in front of him, who seemed to quiver when his name was mentioned. "- failed. I have my own plan, one that cannot go wrong."_

_There was a mutter somewhere in the circle._

_"What was that, Lestrange?" The woman he spoke to fell to her knees._

_"I was only saying, my Lord, that the boys are growing older. Soon they will be back to full strength and we have not yet snatched them." _

_"I see." The voice was not the deadly voice used before a curse was thrown. "Well, Bella, that does not matter. Now that I have heard the prophecy I see that this is for the best."_

_Harry, listening, was confused. He knew all about the prophecy, but had been told that Voldemort knew nothing of its contents. What had happened?_

_"It is fortunate, McNair," Voldemort continued, "That you managed to overhear the prophecy at the ministry while you hid in your invisibility cloak. No one even suspects you of being there. And it was indeed very useful. You will be rewarded."_

_There was a stirring of discontent around the circle as the Death Eaters glared at the one who had managed to win their Master's favour. _

_"You want this too?" Voldemort said softly to the group, noticing the change in atmosphere. "Well, you will have to please me as McNair did, and I will reward you beyond your wildest dreams."_

_Stepping back, Voldemort went on._

_"Yes, I know all about the prophecy now. That fool Dumbledore believes I know nothing, but by using this information I will finally be able to kill the boy. Both of the boys will be mine, for I cannot have one without the other." Voldemort looked almost pensive. "It is a pity… His father is a fine servant… but no matter. They will be mine."_

Harry did not know how long he slept, but when he opened his eyes he saw Pansy and Ron bending over him.

"Hey," Pansy whispered. "How are you feeling?" Harry sat up and considered. He felt much better now; the ache in his stomach and head had gone and he was feeling hungry. He conveyed this to his caretakers and looked relieved.

"That's great. It's lunchtime now; are you going to join us?" Ron asked.

"Yep." Harry got out of bed. "But I just had another dream." He told them about it and Ron and Pansy looked worried. Pansy immediately tried to cover this up.

"I'm sure it was nothing," she said. "Are you ready to go?"

"I might just stay here a bit longer and then go to class after lunch," Harry said.

"Are you sure?" Ron asked worriedly. "You seemed pretty bad this morning."

"I'll be fine." Harry assured him. "Go on."

--------------------------------

Ron and Pansy began talking as soon as they were out of earshot.

"I'm pretty sure it was You-Know-Who who gave the potions to them," Ron said. Pansy nodded.

"It must have been. Who else could it have been?" She looked worried. "What do you think he was talking about when he mentioned the prophecy?" Ron shrugged.

"I don't know. He seemed to be saying that Draco had something to do with it… But it was only about Harry. Harry heard it. It was labeled Harry Potter in the ministry by people who'd heard it."

"Yeah. That's what I thought," Pansy said.

Ron regarded her carefully.

"Pansy… what do you think about… you know… You-Know-Who?" Pansy turned to face him.

"You mean, do I support him?" Ron nodded. "Well, no I don't. I don't think it's right for him to be terrorizing people and breaking up families… And what they do to muggles… It's disgusting." Ron was relieved.

"Really?" He suddenly wondered why she'd been placed in Slytherin. She seemed so different from the rest of them She was actually human.

--------------------------------

Harry joined Draco in their afternoon classes of History of Magic and Charms. They both found classes much more interesting now that they could participate and they learned extremely quickly; most likely because they had learnt it once before.

As soon as class finished the boys went off to the Gryffindor common room with the friends they talked to in class. Once there, there sat together in a corner, whispering. Draco nudged Harry when a pretty girl with long blonde from second year came in.

"Go on," he urged.

"I can't," Harry whispered back. "What if she doesn't like me?"

"Oh come on," Draco whispered. "Don't be such a coward. Just walk up and talk to her."

"But -," Harry wasn't given a chance to finish his sentence as Draco pushed him towards to girl so that he almost bumped into her. She looked around.

"Oh, um, h – hi, Felicity," Harry stammered. The girl smiled.

"Hey Harry. How are you doing?"

"Oh, fine thanks. What about you?"

"Good. Even better now school's finished." Harry laughed, and it sounded ridiculously dorky in his ears.

"Yeah, I agree," he said quickly, to cover this. He cleared his throat. "So… Um, do you want to sit with me at dinner tonight?"

"Sure," Felicity smiled. "I'd love to."

"Really? Great!" Harry smiled widely, then realised he was doing it and stopped.

"Well, I'll see you then, ok?" Felicity gave him one last smile and went off with her friend, giggling with her. Harry walked back over to Draco, grinning modestly.

"Hey, good on you, man," Draco said. Harry just smiled and blushed.

"Let's get back to our rooms. We've got a mountain of homework to do."

--------------------------------------

Draco talked with the friends he had made that day at dinner while Ron and Pansy sat together, watching Harry. He was sitting with the girl from his year, Felicity, and they were laughing and talking together. At the beginning he'd been very nervous, but now he seemed quite relaxed. It was really pretty cute; Ron thought and confided this to Pansy.

"Yeah, it is cute," Pansy agreed. "Look at how he's trying to shift closer without her noticing." She smiled suddenly. "They're almost as cute as _that_ couple!"

She was pointing to Hermione and her seventh-year boyfriend sitting down the table from him. He had his arm around her and they were both laughing and feeding each other, as cute as can be.

"Oh," Ron groaned. "They make me sick!"

Pansy suddenly gasped. "Oh look," she squealed, pointing. Harry was leaving the Great Hall hand in hand with Felicity.

--------------------------------------

Harry returned to their rooms later that night. Pansy and Ron were sitting doing their homework and looked up when he came in, exchanging quick glances.

"Hey Harry," Pansy said casually. "Been in the common room?" Harry nodded.

"Have fun?" Ron asked, as if he was asking about the weather. Harry smiled a little and nodded again. Pansy opened her mouth, but her surreptitious questioning was interrupted by Draco, who bounced into the room shrieking, "Did you kiss her?"

Harry grinned shyly and went red. Draco cheered, wolf-whistled, gave him a high-five and then slapped him on the back so hard he coughed.

"Come on," he yelled, pulling his friend into the other room. "Tell me all about it!"

Ron and Pansy just laughed as they watched this.

"Harry's first kiss," Ron said to Pansy. "I wonder what he did."

"Maybe we'd be good educators," Pansy chuckled.

"Yeah," Ron murmured, slipping over to her bed. "Maybe we could demonstrate…"

Laughing, he kissed her and she gave up any reply she'd had. This was much more fun than arguing.


	8. Age 15

**A/N: I've skipped another three years. They're fifteen now, I hope that's not confusing.**

**Disclaimer: As in last chapter, I own nothing but the story.**

"_My Lord, may I ask what your plan is?" The man Harry had seen in another dream was kneeling before Voldemort._

"_You may, Macnair,' Voldemort answered. "And you may stand."_

_Macnair did so. _

"_Thank you, My Lord. I was only wondering… How do you plan to lure the boy here?" Voldemort gave what could be considered a smirk._

"_Why Macnair… the same as last year of course."_

_Voldemort gave a high, cold laugh, and Macnair laughed along with him. Harry felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up at the sound. It reminded him of a sound he had heard a very long time ago… perhaps it had only been a dream… But nevertheless, it chilled him to the bone. He wanted to speak, to call out for the laughter to stop, but he couldn't make a sound. _

_Finally the awful noise stopped and Voldemort smiled cruelly._

"_The boy will be dead tomorrow," he said to Macnair. "And that is all that matters."_

Harry woke abruptly. He looked around at the still-sleeping Draco and wondered whether or not to tell anyone about his dream. They had been coming more and more often, but this one seemed insignificant. Besides, Harry was fifteen now, he didn't need to go running to Draco or his caretakers with any little worry. Anyway, Ron and Pansy were only a year older than him. They couldn't do much to help him, even if he did tell them, which he wasn't going to.

Harry sat up and winced as the bed creaked. Draco mumbled at the sound and opened his eyes.

"Is it time to get up?" he asked, blinking blearily at Harry, who nodded. "Oh."

Draco heaved himself out of bed and stumbled over to the wardrobe.

"I was up late last night, studying for the potions O.W.L," he explained to Harry. "Ugh, I hate fifth year."

"Hey, you'll be fine," Harry said. "You're so good at potions. You get O's in everything. I'm the one that should be worried. I'm just scraping A's."

Draco was interrupted from his reply by a knock on the door. Pansy came in, also looking tired.

"We're going to breakfast," she said. "We'll see you guys down there, alright?" Harry nodded.

"See you," he said absently, turning to his own robes. He waited for the two to leave and then turned to Draco.

"Hey," he said hesitantly. "What do you think of – of Ginny?" Draco looked at him suspiciously.

"She's nice. Why?"

"No reason," Harry mumbled.

"Do you like her?" Draco demanded. Harry scuffed his foot.

"Well… she's really pretty…"

"Harry, she's our friend," Draco burst out. "You can't date friends! Especially when their older brother has been looking after you for eleven years!"

"I know," Harry said quickly. He looked down. "I guess I should just leave it, shouldn't I?"

"Well…" Draco seemed to be calming down. "It depends how much you like her, mate. Are you willing to risk it?" Harry shrugged.

"I don't know."

"Then don't," Draco advised. "Come on, we'll miss breakfast if we don't go now."

Harry followed his friend/brother down to the Great Hall, his thoughts still on his red-haired friend. He sat down and grabbed a piece of toast, biting into it gloomily.

"Hey Harry, hey Draco," a voice said, and Harry turned quickly, coming face to face with the object of his thoughts. "Are you going to sit with me today?" Ginny asked.

"Of course," Draco replied. "We always sit with you. Why wouldn't we?"

"Oh, of course you do," Ginny said smoothly. "Can you pass the butter?"

--------------------------

After classes had finished for the day, Ron and Pansy met up with their charges coming out of the transfiguration room.

"Hey, what are you guys doing this afternoon?" Ron asked them.

"I've got so much homework," Draco answered. "I'm going to be doing that."

"Ok. Harry?" Pansy asked.

"Huh?" Harry asked, tearing his eyes away from Ginny who was walking past. Draco shook his head and pulled him away before Ron could notice what Harry was staring at.

"We'll be back soon," he called over his shoulder.

As Ron and Pansy watched them, confused, a first year came up.

"I was told to give you this," she said shyly, handing them a piece of paper.

"Thanks," Pansy said, taking it and unfolding it as the girl hurried away.

_Mr Weasley and Ms Parkinson,_

_Please bring Harry and Draco to my office first thing tomorrow morning._

_Professor Dumbledore_

Ron and Pansy looked at each other. Ron shrugged.

"I guess we'll find out tomorrow, he said. "Let's go."

-------------------------

At about 11.55 that night Harry awoke. He lay for a few minutes, trying to go back to sleep, but failing. At last he swung himself out of bed, intending to get a drink, but instead tripping over his shoes and falling onto the floor with a bang.

"What – what's going on?" Draco mumbled from his bed.

"Nothing, sorry," Harry whispered. "I just fell over."

"Huh? What are you doing?" Draco sounded annoyed. With a sigh Harry sat down on his bed.

"I was just going to get a drink," he explained quietly. After a few seconds of silence of he said, "I think I had one of those dreams this morning."

Draco sat up.

"Would you shut up about your dreams?" he hissed. "For God's sake, you think you're so special and wonderful, you're Harry 'Look-At-Me' Potter, and I'm sick of it. Why can't you just be normal?"

"It's not my fault," Harry replied, stunned by this outburst. "I don't want the dreams. I hate them. I wish I didn't get them."

"No you don't," Draco exploded, as quietly as he could. "They make you feel good, don't they, Potter? They set you apart from all of us normal people. You love it!"

"You know what Malfoy?' Harry said angrily. "Why don't you take a long walk of a short bridge and get screwed?"

Draco didn't reply and Harry guessed he was making rude gestures. After a while he fell back to sleep. He slept peacefully until about 6:40, when he entered again into a dream that would change the wizarding world.

_Voldemort stood alone in a graveyard. He seemed to be waiting for something, and before Harry had been watching for more than thirty seconds he stiffened and looked around._

"_I know you're here, Potter," he hissed, looking into the air. "I know you're watching. And look who I've got here with me."_

_Voldemort moved around, and gestured at the ground. There, lying in a tangled mess of broken arms and legs lay a man Harry knew only from photographs._

"_Yes," Voldemort said, as though reading Harry's mind. "Yes, this is your father, James Potter. He's real. I can touch him." Voldemort put one long, white finger on James, and the man twitched away. "You see how broken he is?" Voldemort asked, still looking somewhere about him. "You can save him. You can rescue him from this place and take him home to live with you forever. How would you like that?"_

_Voldemort paused for a second, then, as if he could hear Harry's thoughts, went on, "All you have to do is come to me, alone, with your wand. All I want is your wand, so that I can examine it. After all, it contains a feather from the came phoenix as mine." Here Voldemort paused again, and then said, "If you agree, all your have to do is go to the corridor on the fourth level and look for the portrait of the knight on the red horse. There will be a bottle on the floor. Touch it and it will bring you here, to your father." Pausing again, Voldemort looked around. "Dumbledore's protection charms aren't strong enough for my magic," he explained._

"_I'll see you soon." Smiling, Voldemort stepped back, and the dream ended._

Harry woke. Without further thought, he dressed, pocketed his wand and left to find the portkey.


	9. Age 16

**A/N: Just to clarify, the potion messes with Draco and Harry's minds. They remember growing up with Ron and Pansy, but the potion makes it seem real, so they don't realise that they've stayed sixteen for over ten years. Hope that makes sense.**

Draco woke at around 6:50. He noticed Harry wasn't there, but after what he had said last night, Draco didn't really care. He stayed in bed for a minute or two, before the door opened and Ron came in.

"Hey. We've got to take you two to see Dumbledore." He looked around. "Where's Harry?"

Draco shrugged.

"I think he left not long ago. I was half awake but I don't know where he went." Ron looked worried.

"We'd better find him. Get dressed; we'll have to look for him."

Grumbling, Draco pulled on his robes, putting his wand in his pocket. He wandered around the castle without really looking properly, as he was still fired up about the middle of the night.

He met up with Ron and Pansy after about twenty minutes, after having covered the whole castle together. They'd found nothing. Draco began to get a prickle of fear. What if Harry didn't return? Where _could_ he have gone?

Suddenly, Draco thought of something. Without waiting to tell the others he raced off, leaving them shouting after him. Draco had remembered Harry talking in his sleep that morning.

'_Fourth floor, portrait of a knight with a red horse; touch the bottle'_ he had murmured and Draco, caught between sleep and wakefulness had heard the words, though he hadn't registered them. If Draco was right, Harry had been having one of his dreams, and was most likely in terrible danger right now.

------------------------------------

Harry had crept out of the room that morning and gone straight to where he'd been told. The bottle was there as promised and Harry wasted no time in stretching out a finger to touch it. He had felt the pull behind his navel that signified that he was off, and when he opened his eyes he found himself in the same graveyard he had seen Voldemort in.

Without being given a chance to fully register where he was, Harry felt arms grabbing him and looked down to see long, white fingers gripping his shoulder. Panicking, Harry struck out, but Voldemort was much stronger than he was, and easily tied him to a headstone.

Harry looked up at the man, the first prickles of fear and doubt stabbing at his stomach.

"You came sooner than expected, Potter," Voldemort told him. "And I have some business to finish. I'll be back soon, don't you worry." He smiled cruelly. "Don't move a muscle," he said, smirking, and with a crack was gone.

Harry sat still, his mind working furiously. Had this been a trap? Was he now condemned to die here, tied to the headstone without even a chance of fighting back?

It was almost January and the weather was bitterly cold. Harry tried to huddle tighter, but was tied so tightly that he couldn't manage it. By the time Voldemort returned it was twenty minutes later, and Harry was almost blue with cold.

Voldemort didn't approach Harry immediately, but hung back, so that Harry knew it would be useless to try to talk to him. He simply watched as Voldemort rolled up his sleeve and pressed his finger to his forearm. Harry wondered what he was doing for a minute, and then gasped, horrified as the place Voldemort touched glowed red then black. He rolled his sleeve back down and came over to face Harry.

"My faithful Death Eaters are coming Potter," he said. "This is a special occasion. I am finally going to kill you."

Harry looked around, and saw that the Death Eaters were indeed appearing. There seemed to be dozens of them. As each one arrived they kneeled respectfully in front of Voldemort, murmuring, "My Lord," and then formed a semi-circle facing Harry.

When they were all there, Voldemort began to speak.

"Do you remember this place?" Voldemort asked, gesturing to the graveyard around him, and then added, "Perhaps not. Poor Potter doesn't remember anything of our – recent – encounters."

"Where's my father?" Harry asked immediately, not even bothering to ponder what this sentence meant. A ripple of laughter spread through the watching Death Eaters.

"Aw, baby Potty wants his Daddy. Isn't that sweet?" The mocking voice came from somewhere in the circle. Voldemort simply smiled lazily at Harry.

"Your father is dead, Potter," he said, sounding amused. "You know that. You have known that for years. I simply created an illusion for you. I must say, it was very amusing."

Harry felt hot anger curse through him.

"You promised," he said, his voice shaking with rage.

"Ah," Voldemort said. "But you have to understand, Harry that my word is not always the one to trust. Am I right?" He spoke to his Death Eaters, who laughed cruelly. "However," Voldemort continued, "You are trustworthy, so I assume you held up your end of the bargain?" He reached down and pulled Harry's wand from his pocket, flicking it between his fingers idly. "Excellent."

Harry was definitely feeling worried now, though he did his best to hide it. He was surrounded by Death Eaters, tied to a headstone and had no wand. He didn't see how he could possible escape from this.

Then suddenly something happened which made him forget that.

Draco Malfoy appeared in the place where Harry had arrived half an hour before, clutching the bottle that was used as a portkey.

Harry's mouth dropped open. Apparently the Death Eaters were in shock too, because none of them moved, giving Draco time to undo Harry's bonds with his wand and cast _expelliarmus_ at Voldemort.

Harry scrambled to his feet and grabbed his wand which had landed near him.

"Get them," he heard Voldemort shriek, and the Death Eaters began to close in. Quickly, he and Draco began to fire off spells.

"Stupefy!" Harry roared desperately. "Avada Kedavra!" Out of the corner of his eye he saw green light flash and a Death Eater went down. Another fell to the ground after being hit by Harry's stunning spell. Draco was doing the same, as the Death Eaters closed in, pulled out their own wands. In desperation Harry cried: "Sectumsempra!" He waved his wand around, as he'd never cast this spell before, had never heard of it until Wormtail had cast it at Pansy. Red light streamed from his wand and as Harry kept waving it, it went straight through three Death Eaters coming towards them. Harry barely saw that their legs collapsed to the ground and their torsos a second later, in different spots. Harry had cut the three in half.

The number of Death Eater was diminishing rapidly.

"Come on," Voldemort screamed. "Are you going to be outwitted by a pair of teenagers?"

The Death Eaters were casting spells too now, and Harry and Draco were ducking and weaving, doing their best to avoid them. They'd taken out at least three quarters of the Death Eaters now, and were still casting spells as they dived behind tombstones and out of reach of the Death Eaters' spells. More and more of them were falling to the ground as Draco picked up the Sectumsempra spell and took out a few at a time.

Unfortunately, the Death Eaters were using this spell too. There were only a couple left now, and Harry rolled out of the shelter of the tombstone, casting stunning spells at wherever he could see Death Eaters. To his surprise, he saw only four left.

"Sectumsempra!" Draco roared, taking out three of them. The final one lifted his wand.

"Sectumsempra," he cried, aiming at both of them. Harry threw himself behind the tombstone and then looked back for his friend.

Draco lay on the ground. He hadn't been quick enough. The spell had cut through his shoulder, almost halfway through his body. His face was very pale.

Anger replaced the fear Harry had been feeling. This man had killed his friend, his brother.

"Sectumsempra!" Harry roared. The Death Eater's eyes widened in surprise as the spell swept through his body, then he feel to the ground, dead.

Voldemort cam forward, clapping slowly.

"Well done, Potter, well done," he said quietly, and there was no amusement in his voice now. "So you managed to get through my Death Eater forces. Very clever of you. However, you did have help from your friend, didn't you? A friend who could have helped you with so much more… But won't now."

"What?" Harry stared at Voldemort. What was he talking about?

"Oh, of course… I forgot you didn't know," Voldemort said. "How rude of me."

He continued to smirk at Harry who was growing steadily angrier by the second.

"So, it's just you and me, once again, Harry," he said softly. "But of course, you don't remember that."

Harry squinted. Memories were stirring from deep inside his brain… He had been here before. He had battled Voldemort, here, before, in fourth year. Cedric had been killed. '_Wait,'_ said a voice. '_Who's Cedric?'_

And there was another memory… a good looking teenage boy down in what looked to be a dungeon… and a man with two heads staring into a mirror… what was happening? Harry shook his head to clear it.

"Well then, Potter, I suppose it's time for us to duel?" Voldemort's tone was mocking. "You may remember – or perhaps you don't – that last time this happened, our wands refused to fight one another."

Harry had a vague memory of this; a golden light connecting two wands and people climbing out of the other one: Cedric, an old man, a woman who'd been missing and – Harry remembered painfully – his mother and father.

"So," Voldemort continued. "I've given up my wand in favour of another one. This time we will have a real duel."

Harry swallowed. He knew he was no match for Voldemort. He knew he would be killed. But he was determined to be killed fighting, like Draco, not cowering, hiding from the spell.

"Ok," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. Voldemort smiled.

"I see you still have courage, whatever else you may have lost recently. You will die standing up to me, just as your father did."

Harry raised his wand, ignoring Voldemort. Voldemort did the same, and bowed ironically to Harry. Then he brought his wand down shouting:

"Crucio!"

Harry dodged just in time, and stood up roaring: "Stupefy!" Voldemort moved lazily.

"You'll have to do better than that, Potter," he called, sounding amused once again. Harry gritted his teeth and fired every spell he knew at Voldemort, who deflected them with his wand almost lazily. By this time Harry was staggering with weariness, having used all his energy in the many spells he had been casting.

"Come on, Potter," Voldemort called. "You know you have nothing left. I can make it quick, or I can make it painful. It's your choice." Harry tried to muster up some energy but failed. It was no use. If he cast another spell he knew he'd faint. He simply stood, struggling to keep his head up, waiting for Voldemort to deal the final blow.

Voldemort stood in front of Harry, smiling.

"To think, after all these years," he said softly. "This is what it came down to. It's almost disappointing. Oh well." He raised his wand, and brought it down crying "Avada Kedavra!"

Harry waited for death to overtake him, longed for it even, just to be with people he loved again. He waited for it to hit him, waited for the spell to come…

But it never did. Instead, a body flung itself in front of him, a blonde haired boy whom Harry had thought was dead, threw himself in front of Harry, taking the spell for him.

As it hit, time seemed to freeze and the spell turned around and headed back where it had come from, back to Voldemort, whose eyes widened in surprise as he was hit by his own spell… and then both he and Draco gave tiny sighs and sank to the ground and didn't stir again.

Harry couldn't think, couldn't feel. He shook his head again and again, trying to clear it. At last he looked down at the crumpled form of Draco Malfoy and picked it up in his arms, staggering over to the bottle Draco had brought with him. He snatched it up and again felt the jerk that was taking them back to Hogwarts… back to life… back to normality. They hit the ground at Hogwarts and as voices surrounded them so did blackness… Harry sank into the cool darkness, and thought no more.

**A/N: Only one more chapter! It'll be up a little late next week as I'm away on school camp but I'll get it up as soon as possible. Thanks for reading!**


	10. Epilogue

**A/N: Thanks for your patience guys! Hope you enjoy the last chapter.**

_Harry dreamt, and the images confused him. He saw himself as an eleven-year-old battling his way through numerous tasks to reach a stone, helped by his friends Ron and Hermione. Friends? They were his caretakers, his guardians. How was it that in the dream they were the same age as him?_

_He saw himself a little older; saw messages in blood written on walls, diaries that had nothing in them, spiders that talked and a huge serpent chasing him through a chamber in the bowels of the castle. The words came to him_, Basilisk, Chamber of Secrets, Philosopher's stone_. Harry didn't understand where all these things were coming from. He longed to escape from this confusing dream and return to his normal life, but it was impossible. He was caught in the grip of the images: A rat who wasn't a rat, a werewolf, carriages of student from other schools, dragons, Cedric, the graveyard he had been in that morning, Sirius Black, the ministry, the prophecy…_

_Suddenly Harry remembered everything. He saw his two lives before him, and understood. The goblet he had taken that night had led to this… He had been under a spell – no, a potion – and where had that potion come from? It must have come from Voldemort. Who else would have wanted to make him and Draco young? Who else would have profited? _

Harry awoke. He sat up, blinking and found himself in an office he somehow remembered, but didn't remember. Professor Dumbledore sat behind the desk, watching him.

"Sir," Harry gasped, as soon as he was able to. "Sir, it was Voldemort – he's gone; we killed him – and Draco – he killed Draco –,"

"Harry, please calm down," Dumbledore said. "If you are up to it, I must ask you to tell me what happened today."

Harry quickly related his tale and Dumbledore nodded.

"I see," he murmured, almost to himself. "So Voldemort knew about the prophecy, did he?"

"Sir, _Voldemort _fed us the potions; he wanted to attack us!" Harry was desperate to make Dumbledore understand this. Dumbledore however, didn't seem to notice this.

"No, Harry," he said quietly, and there was no twinkle in his eyes. "Voldemort could not have gotten close enough to feed them to you."

"But Sir, how else -,"

"It was I who gave you the potions," Dumbledore said calmly.

Harry stared at him. Dumbledore had given them the potions. _Dumbledore_ had wanted them to be attacked. Harry backed away.

"No, Harry, you do not understand," Dumbledore said quickly. "I did not want you to get killed. I simply wished you to kill Voldemort."

Harry didn't understand. How did the potions affect his chance of defeated Voldemort?

"You might remember, Harry," Dumbledore spoke. "That last year I showed you the prophecy that caused Voldemort to hunt you down." Harry nodded, he did remember this. "I must confess that I didn't allow you to hear all of it," Dumbledore went on. "I modified it a little, cut out certain parts. It was necessary for me to do it; for if you had known what to do it wouldn't have worked. But I think, now it is time you heard the whole thing."

Dumbledore stood up and got out his pensieve from the cupboard. He prodded it once, and the figure of Professor Trelawney rose out of it, spinning around on the spot, just as Harry remembered. But the words weren't the same as the ones he had heard in June.

_The ones with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approach; one born to those who support that that he must kill: one born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies; they will rise together; one shall be noticed and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not: it will be an act of great love by the two that will defeat the Dark Lord and either must die at the hands of the other, for neither can live while the other survives: so it began, so it shall end… the ones with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord…_

Harry stared at Dumbledore. If anything, this had made it all the more confusing.

"Don't you understand Harry," Dumbledore said softly. "The prophecy included both of you. _An act of great love_… one of you had to be willing to sacrifice yourself to save the other, and when this happened the curse rebounded back upon Voldemort himself just as it did when you were a baby, but this time it would finish him. _So it began, so it shall end_."

"But I still don't understand," Harry began. "Why did you -,"

"Why did I give you another life with Mr Weasley and Ms Parkinson? Simple. The sacrifice had to be done out of love, not out of necessity. If I had simply told you that one of had to sacrifice yourself you would have done it for the wizarding community, not for each other. I had to create a strong bond of brotherly love between you and Draco to make this work."

_Draco…_ Suddenly Harry was angry, angrier than he had ever been, angrier, even, that when Sirius had died and he had stood in this same office smashing things while Dumbledore simply watched.

"You told me the prophecy didn't necessarily have to happen!" He shouted. "But you did all of that to make sure it _did_ happen, just the way you wanted it. And you got your wish. Because you didn't tell us, Draco's dead!"

"Harry," Dumbledore interrupted.

"You got what you wanted; we did have a strong bond. He was my friend; I had a whole life with him! But none of that matters to you, you just care about killing Voldemort! You don't care about the people you mess with do, do you, you just care about what they achieve in the end!"

"Harry, _Draco is not dead._"

Harry stopped short.

"He's – he's not?"

"No."

"But the prophecy -," Harry's mind was reeling. "It said, _either must die at the hands of the other, for neither can live while the other survives._ And it was right. Draco died."

"No, Harry. The prophecy was not talking about you and Draco. It was talking about the two of you – and Voldemort. Either you two or Voldemort must die, and Voldemort is gone. Draco will be fine – though he will have a rather unusual scar on his chest… Much like the one on your forehead I'd say." Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling once more.

"Can – can I see him?"

"Certainly," Dumbledore said. "I, too, wish to see him. I will accompany you down to the hospital wing."

-----------------------------

Madame Pomfry was looking tense. Ron, Pansy, Hermione and Draco's parents were sitting at Draco's bed. Draco was arguing with his parents saying that he'd liked living with Ron and Pansy much more than with them – evidently he remembered his two lives as well. Ron, Pansy and Hermione were talking amongst themselves and all three looked worried.

Madame Pomfry looked relieved when Harry and Dumbledore entered the hospital wing.

"Headmaster," she said, hurrying up. "The boy shouldn't have any visitors, but…" She trailed off, the look in her eyes conveying the disapproval of the situation.

"Thank you Poppy," Dumbledore said gently. "But I need to speak with Harry and Draco."

"What have you done to my son?" Lucius hissed, striding up to Dumbledore. "This is your doing, these… ideas he's got in his head now."

"Lucius," Dumbledore said calmly. "I'm afraid I must ask you and Narcissa to leave for now. I need to talk to the boys."

"If you think I'm going to leave him alone with you, you're very much mistaken," Lucius spat. "I demand that you put him back the way he was before this mess!"

"I'm sorry, but that choice belongs to Draco," Dumbledore told him. "Draco, what would you like to do?"

"Stay like this," Draco said at once. "And I'm not coming home with you again, either."

Lucius made to hit his son, but Dumbledore stopped him.

"I think you'll find that if you touch the boy you'll be back in Azkaban before you know it," he said quietly.

"I am his father and that is my right," Lucius sneered.

"Not in my school," Dumbledore told him. "But if you wish to test my theory…"

Lucius made one last, angry gesture and strode out the room, Narcissa following behind. Ron, Hermione and Pansy made to leave too, but Dumbledore held up a hand.

"You three may stay," he told them. Quickly, he explained about the prophecy and why he'd given Harry and Draco the potions.

"Now, if you like," he said to Harry and Draco. "I can erase what you've felt for these past two weeks. I cannot erase your memories of it, for that would make things very confusing, but you can forget all about this and go back to how things were before it happened."

"No," both said immediately.

"I'd like to stay how I am," Draco said.

"Me too," Harry added. "I don't want to forget."

"Very well." Dumbledore stood up to go. "I must see to your parents, Draco. I'm sure they'll have plenty to say to me."

He walked out of the hospital wing and the five sixteen year-olds looked at one another. Before they had a chance to speak, Madame Pomfry came hurrying out of her office.

"Out,' she called. "Mr Malfoy needs rest. Mr Potter, I think it's better if you stay here too tonight. You three… out!"

Ron, Hermione and Pansy left, promising to be back as early as possible in morning while Harry got into a bed near Draco.

"Isn't it nice to think we'll still be sixteen when we wake up tomorrow?" Draco asked.

"Yeah." Harry smiled and looked over at his friend. "I thought you were dead. I just – well – thanks."

"No problem," Draco smiled. "You would've done it for me."

And that, Harry thought, was absolutely right.

**A/N: Well, that's the end of the longest story I've ever written. Thank you so much to my reviewers and those who have followed the story all the way through, it means a lot. I was toying with the idea of writing a sequel in which Harry and Draco have to learn to cope with their new lives... What do you think? Thanks for reading!**


End file.
